Dropbox Email Notification as Items Are Uploaded]

Instead of dealing with email attachments, faxes, text messages, USB sticks, and concrete pieces of paper, a Dropbox File Asking gives you a uncomplicated upload page that collects files from people in a single Dropbox folder.

To upload a file through a File Request, your non-tech-savvy uploaders don't need a Dropbox account. Your other Dropbox files, including other people'south submissions, are kept individual.

File Requests are used by teachers collecting assignments from students, couples collecting photos and videos from their wedding guests, and frustrated family tech support when your not-tech-savvy uncle is having a really hard time understanding the 20MB file upload limit of electronic mail.

There are several unprofessional rough edges of the File Request flow, so if you're looking to receive files from clients for your concern a dedicated file receiving tool would probable work amend for you lot. Business alternatives to Dropbox File Requests are at the lesser of this guide.

How to create a File Request in Dropbox

To create a File Request in Dropbox, log into your Dropbox business relationship on a laptop or desktop computer and click on Files in the left side navigation card, and so File requests.

On the File requests page, click the bluish Request files button on the right. This will open up a window with a short form of options to fill out.

Hither's what each of those options mean:

• What are you requesting?: Whatsoever yous put hither will be included in the title of the upload page you lot transport to uploaders (ex: "Christian Genco is requesting Birthday party photos") and notification emails, and will exist the default name of the binder where files are uploaded.
• Where should these files become in your Dropbox?: this optional field lets yous change where files will get sent. By default, y'all don't need to do anything here, and files will get organized in your elevation level File requests binder.
• Add a deadline: if this upload course has a difficult cutoff, similar for a homework submission, you can set the form to automatically stop receiving submissions at preset time. This option might be a skillful idea to ready even if you don't have a tight deadline to avert spam.

Looking for more configuration options? It's common to need things similar:

• the option to collect extra data like uploader email addresses or order numbers
• the choice to automatically organize files based on collected information
• the option to whitelabel the upload page with your branding
• the option to countersign-protect your upload page and so you tin can mail the upload link on your website without worrying about spam

Unfortunately, you can't get any of these options with Dropbox File Requests. More avant-garde dedicated file receiving tools like Fileinbox may be a amend option if you need these features.

To save the File Asking, click the blue Next button. You'll get redirected to a new screen with a very long link and the option to invite uploaders past email. Make sure to save this link somewhere prophylactic because it's tricky to get information technology back after you shut this window.

How to share a File Request with uploaders

The e-mail field will autocomplete with anyone in your Dropbox contacts, which is a listing of everyone you lot've shared anything with through your Dropbox account.

If y'all invite uploaders by email, they'll go sent a message from [email protected] that reads:

"#{your name} is requesting files for #{the name of your file request}.

Yous can upload files securely to Dropbox then that #{your name} can see them, fifty-fifty if you don't have an account. Learn more"

You lot tin include an optional message with this request that will appear at the bottom of them electronic mail.

You can share the link to your Dropbox File Asking with as many people as y'all'd similar, but once your Dropbox gets full uploads will neglect.

Dropbox File Request links are long and ugly (ex: https://www.dropbox.com/request/CCAt8Ht6T1KY2Q6BhRfX) so yous may want to shorten them with a service like TinyUrl.

If you lose track of the upload link, yous can get information technology over again from the Dropbox File Request index folio by clicking on the three horizontal dots side by side to your File Asking, then Add people. This will re-open the sharing dialog bill of fare with the link to upload files.

Uploading files to a Dropbox File Request

Once your uploaders land on the File Request page—whether from an email invitation or directly through the link—they'll land on a folio where they can either upload files from their computer or their Dropbox account.

If your uploader isn't logged into a Dropbox account, they'll be prompted for their name and email address. Unfortunately, Dropbox File Requests don't let you lot encounter the email address they enter—Dropbox just uses their email to send an upload confirmation email.

Multiple files of any blazon can be uploaded on this page.

Annoyingly, subsequently uploading a file, Dropbox prompts uploaders to create a Dropbox account. This is fine if you're simply collecting files for a party, but may not be professional enough for your business.

If your Dropbox business relationship fills up before these files are submitted, Dropbox will give an error that "#{your name} doesn't have plenty Dropbox Space for these files.". If you're not sure how much space you have left, it'south probably best to be actively offloading files to brand certain uploads don't get stopped past full storage.

After uploading files, uploaders get emailed an upload confirmation electronic mail with a summary of the uploaded files.

Receiving files with Dropbox File Requests

As soon as files are uploaded, you'll get an email notification from [email protected] letting y'all know who uploaded files and what they uploaded.

You tin get to these files by clicking the big bluish Meet new files push in this e-mail, or navigating direct to your file requests directory in Dropbox.

Files will show up in a folder with the same name as the File Request. For instance, if you named your File Request "Birthday party photos", uploaded files volition be in your Dropbox/File requests/Altogether political party photos/ folder.

Unfortunately, once you've created a File Request, you tin can't alter where these files are organized. Additionally, you can't dynamically rename files.

Business Alternatives to Dropbox File Requests

Every bit we've discussed, in that location are several unprofessional pain points in using Dropbox File Requests for your business:

• Dropbox File Requests are branded past Dropbox and tin can't exist whitelabeled
• Upload pages can't be countersign-protected, which ways posting them on your website is inviting spam
• Uploader email addresses tin can't be collected forth with files
• Uploads will fail if your Dropbox has run out of space
• "Likewise many requests—Sorry, this link has been automatically turned off for now. Larn more nearly traffic limits" errors

If you need this level of customizability, use a defended file-receiving service like Fileinbox.

	Dropbox File Requests	Fileinbox
Simple upload interface	✅	✅
Email notifications	✅	✅
Receive files in Dropbox Cloud Storage	✅	✅
Close upload pages to stop files	✅	✅
Maximum file size	2GB/20GB full	1GB per file
All the same receives files if your Dropbox is full	🚫	✅
Drag-and-drop files to upload	🚫	✅
Collect uploader emails	🚫	✅
Collect extra data (chore number, file annotations, etc)	🚫	✅
Branded links (fileinbox.com/your-business-name-here)	🚫	✅
Password protected file upload pages	🚫	✅
Embed file upload forms in your website	🚫	✅
Custom theme and brand whitelabeling	🚫	✅
Automatic file organizing	🚫	✅

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Source: https://fileinbox.com/articles/dropbox-file-requests-ultimate-guide

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